Eyelet.



F, H. RICHARDS.

EYELET. I APPLICATION FILED BBQ. 26, 1901.

Patented. NW. 18, 1908.

[unitary structure shown in Fig. 7.

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uremia To all whom it concern. Belt knownitha't-lcl lnluvcis H.RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States. residing at .Hartiford.inqtheqcounty of Hartford and State of (Connecticut, h are inventedcertain new anduse-ful Improvements in E elets, of whichthe following isa specification.

This invention relates to eyelets and particularly to lacing eyeletssuch as used. on shoes orwother articles; the chief object of theinvention is to'simplify the construction and improve the wearing orwear-resisting qualities of the article and to reduce the expenseof'manufacture thereof.

The entire eyelet I form a material consisting ofa suitable fibrousmaterial such as fabric and'a non-metallic material such as celluloid.onotlier pyroxylin compound; the fabric contributing strength andtoughness, while the celluloid forms the facing and gives rigidity andwear resisting qualities to the device which is suitably clenched uponthe leather orother material according to its 11se.-'

In the drawings;forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 shows asection of the complete eyelet ready for use. Fig. '2 shows the eyeletinserted in an aperture in an article, as for instance the upper of ashoe. Fig. 3 shows a section of the eyelet with the projecting tubularportion molded to cleuch it upon the article also shown in section.

.F i 4 illustrates the component parts of whichthe articleisformcd inseparate positions. 'Figs 5 and 6 show the material at a later stage inthe process of manufacture; and Fig.7 shows the several layers combinedto a single structurefroln which the eyelet is formed.

In making the eyelet I preferably use four plies of material as'shown inFig. 4, the two outerplies being a non-metallic material preferablycelluloid ,or its equivalent, the two inner plies are of a'fibrousmaterial preferably fabric of any suital'ilc kind. It preferable tofirst treat the fabric layers or plies 3 and 4: with celluloid and thenthe lay ers orplies 1 and 2 together with the plies of the fabric arebrought together and subjected to heat and pressure, producing the siredthe layer of fabric 3 may be first united with'the celluloid sheet 1 andthen the fabric l similarly united to the celluloid sheet 2; and nextthe two double plies brought to I Specification of Letters Patent. Y I 7Application and December 36, 1901. Serial Ni). 87,186.

ramnmanov. 10, 1908.

gether under heat and pressure. This sheet or ply of composite materialis next brought toa tubular form 19 with one flanged end 24, as shown inFig. 1. This is preferably done by a lcind of drawing or spinning wastion that removes the central portion of the sheet, and then molds it tothe cylindrically It will be noticed that the flaring or flanged endparts of the eyelet are curved to a substantially semi-circle in crosssection as shown by a diametral section in Fig. 3, this leaves no abruptedges to besubjected to undue wear. It will also be observed that theend face of the flan 'c extends, in the embodiment shown, in a plane atright angles to the axis of the body portion.

In a certain sense, the material of the eyelet might be considered asthree-ply in that there is an inner structure of fibrous materialorfabric, that is faced on both sides with a. non metallic materialpreferably molda-ble and in the form of celluloid or other pyroxylinformation.

An eyelet formed as herein set forth re-' quires no further finishing inthe way of to be exposed to view from wear, yet the form of fibrousmaterial or fabric toughens and reinforces the celluloid to a large deree, and reduces the liability to breakage or racture, and even shouldthe parts become broken, the threads of the fabric will hold themtogether.

By the useiof the term celluloid herein, I include all equivalentsthereof, and the invention not restricted to any particular compositionor compound of the celluloid or pyroxylin class.

1 Having described my invention, I churn-- 1. An eyelet consisting offibrous material and hard, moldable, wear-resisting material in suitablecombination.

2. An eyelet consisting of fabric faced with mold able wear-resistingmaterial.

loid and having a tubular body and a flangelike head and moldable at theend opposite 4 said head, said fabric being embedded in the celluloidthroughout the eyelet. 5. An eyelet consisting of fabric and moldabl'ematerial and having a tubular body portion and a flaring end. 1

6. An eyelet molded from sheet material consisting of celluloid andfabric.

7. An eyelet molded from celluloid in which sheet fabric is embedded. 8.A L'olded eyelet consisting of a head and a tubalar b0dy,'the latterbeing drawn from sheet material consistin of a com-' pound of celluloidin which fabric is embedded.

9. An eyelet consisting of fabric faced upon both sides with celluloid.

' 10. An eyelet formed with two plies of celluloid and an interveningply of tough nonmetallic material.

11. An eyelet consisting of a plurality of plies of fabric faced withcelluloid.

12. An eyelet made from sheet-material consisting of two inner pliesof-fabric and two outer plies of celluloid, said sheet-matev rial beindrawn into a tubular, slightly tapering ody, and a portion ofsheet-material being left around said body so as to form a roundedflange provided with a, plane under surface constltuting a shoulder,substantially at right angles to the axis of the eyelet. v

13. An eyelet made from plies of inner and outer material and which isdrawn into a tubular slightly tapering body, and a portion of thematerial being left around said body so as to form a flange duringmanufacture, and provided with a' plane surface constituting a shouldertransverse to the axis of the eyelet.

14. An article provided with a three-ply peyelet consisting of celluloidand fabric, and

having a tubular body inserted in a perforation in' said article, andhaving a flange at each end of said perforation. I

, 15. An article rovided with an eyelet comprising celluloid and two-plyfabric and having a tubularbody inserted in a perforation in saidarticle and having a flange at each end ofsaid perforation.

16. An article provided with an eyelet consisting oftwo plies of fabricits outer sides faced with celluloid and having a tubular body which isinserted in a perforation in said article and has a flange at each endof said perforation. 1

17. In an eyelet, a tubular body of celluloid reinforced with fabric.18. In an eyelet, a tubular body comprising outer and inner walls ofcelluloid! and an insertion of tou h non-metallic material.

19. In an eyelet, a tubular body consisting of a plurality of plies offabric faced with celluloid.

201 In an eyelet, a tubular body consisting of a plurality of plies offabric adhering to- ,gether and lined upon the outside and inside withcelluloid.

. 21. An eyelet formed of celluloid with an intermediate portion.offabric embodied therein, the eyelet having a tubular body portion anda flange-like head at one end, the fabric extending. through theintermediate portion of the flange and terminating at the intermediateportion,of the under face .of the flange.

22. Aneyelet' composed of celluloid with.

an intermediate portion of fabric embodied therein, the eyeletcomprising atubular body portion with a flange portion at eachextremity, the fabric extending into eadh flange portion and terminatingintermediate of such flange at the end thereof.

23. An eyelet composed of celluloid with an intermediate portionoffabric embodied therein, the eyelet comprising a tubular body portionand a flange portion at one end having' an end portion substantially.semi-circular in cross section asset forth, the end face of the flangeextending in a plane at a right angle to the axis of the bod portion,

the fab'ricextending through the angeportion at the intermediate part,thereof and curved similarly to the. curved end of the flange.

24:. An eyelet formed of celluloid with an intermediate ply ofnon-metallic material. FRANCIS H. RICHARDS.

V-Vitnesses:

- B. C. STICKNEY, FRED. J. Domv

